How to Pick a Quality Jeweler

Exterior of Fink's Jewelers Store

Investing in jewelry is a significant purchase. When you buy designer jewelry, you want it to last a lifetime so you can wear it for years to come. You can find fine jewelry in many different places, but you need a professional jeweler you can trust to ensure the protection and quality of your pieces. Choose a jeweler with an established reputation and commitment to professionalism. 

How to Identify Your Jewelry Wants and Needs

Jeweler looking at display of rings at jewelry store

Before picking the best reputable jeweler for you, you have to identify your wants and needs. Your needs will include things like your lifestyle, budget, and style preferences. If you fail to consider your own desires before committing to a designer jeweler, you might be unhappy with your choice.

Whether you’re picking a wedding band, diamond necklace, or a simple pair of earrings, you should make a checklist before you start your search. Identify how much you are willing to spend on your item, what style you’re looking for, and how often you plan on wearing the piece. This way, you’ll be prepared to assess your needs on the spot while shopping. 

What to Look for in a Quality Jeweler

With so many fantastic designer jewelry brands out there, how do you know which ones you can trust? There are a few defining qualities that will let you know whether a jeweler is reliable, including things like:

  • established reputation
  • trustworthiness
  • quality insurance policies
  • repair policies

Designer Jewelers with an Established Reputation

Fink's Jewelers Logo

Now that you can find a million and one reviews for any company with a quick Google search, you need to be checking out their reputation. First, look at their customer reviews and make sure they describe positive experiences with the company. Of course, you should take everything you read online with a grain of salt, but looking at several reviews will help guarantee you have a good idea about the brand.

Another way to ensure the reputation of a designer jeweler is by asking people you know who have shopped with them. It’s hard to understand the tone and intention of a stranger online, but when you ask someone you already know, you know you’ll have an accurate answer. If your mother, sister, or best friend trusts them and considers them to be a reputable jeweler, chances are you can trust them too.

Designer Jewelers You Can Trust

When you’re buying expensive jewelry, it can be hard to assess whether the company truly cares about the quality of your jewelry or if they’re just content with taking your money. Shopping with a reputable quality jeweler will take away the stress of wondering whether your jewelry is of high quality. So, how do you know if you can trust a jeweler before you’ve shopped with them?

In addition to looking at customer reviews, you should be identifying the company’s policies. If their policies seem unclear or hard to understand, that may be a sign that they’re untrustworthy. You should always ask your designer jeweler questions before proceeding with a purchase, even if you’ve already read the reviews.

Reputable Jewelers’ Quality Insurance Policies

Side view of fingers holding ring

There are ways you can make sure your jewelry is high-quality without getting it appraised or inspected after purchasing. First, read up on the company’s quality insurance policies. Ensure they have a specific plan in place for how they will guarantee the elasticity and durability of your piece.

Each reputable jeweler will have its own set of rules and approaches when it comes to quality insurance. For example, Fink’s has the Lifetime Diamond Guarantee. This policy guarantees the superior qualities of your diamonds while keeping them protected for life.

Specific engagement rings, bracelets, and earrings are covered under the lifetime guarantee. It goes beyond the traditional diamond grading report to give you a clear idea of your piece’s value. If you have any issues with your diamond, you can return it within thirty days of purchasing. 

Designer Jewelers’ Repair Policies

When purchasing beautiful jewelry for your collection, the last thing you want to consider is potential loss or damage to your piece. However, accidents can happen that leave you with a chipped stone or a missing diamond. Therefore, it’s vital to make sure that the reputable jeweler you choose has a solid repair policy just in case an incident occurs.

Typically, insurance for jewelry repair will depend on your specific accessory. You can purchase jewelry insurance on your own for any piece, but it’s best to know how the jeweler would handle the issue first. You should figure out where they will send your jewelry to fix it, whether the repair technicians are qualified, and how they will replace your exact stones.

Questions to Ask Your Jeweler

Two women at a table discussing purchase while looking at papers

All of those qualities might seem like a lot to look for in a reputable jeweler. Narrow down your list of concerns with some specific questions. Don’t be afraid to grill your jeweler; you are making an incredibly important purchase, after all.

Some of the most important questions to ask your quality jeweler are: 

  1. Are they well established with credentials
  2. Do they offer a wide array of services for jewelry, such as cleaning and inspection?
  3. Is the jeweler knowledgeable?
  4. What is their return policy?
  5. What types of jewelry do they offer insurance for?
  6. How do they handle broken accessories?
  7. Do their diamonds come with a grading report?

Of course, each person will have a different set of wishes when making a significant jewelry purchase. So while your list of questions might be more expansive or a little less detailed, make sure it’s addressing all of your primary concerns.

How to Maintain the Quality of Jewelry

Even when purchasing from a reputable jeweler, you have to put effort into maintaining the quality once it’s out of the store and in your jewelry box. Throwing your earrings onto your vanity before bed might be a habit, but proper storage and care are needed if you want them to last forever.

Front of Fink's store in Birkview in downtown

If you’ve purchased from a trustworthy designer jeweler, you will probably get your pieces professionally cleaned and checked about once a year. But what if you wear the piece daily? A build-up of dust and debris can make even the most sparkly diamond look dull.

There are different ways to clean each type of jewelry depending on the diamonds, metals, and gems used within them. You can easily clean most designer accessories by soaking them in a bowl of warm water and a non-abrasive jewelry cleaning solution for about thirty minutes. Don’t forget to pat it dry with a gentle cloth after.

From tangled necklaces to a missing left stud, we know how frustrating it can be to keep jewelry organized. The easiest way to keep your jewelry out of harm’s way is by keeping the box it came in. If you’ve already tossed it, consider getting a jewelry box that is big enough to house all your most valuable pieces.

Now that you know how to find reputable jewelers, your days of flimsy, rusting rings and itchy earrings are long gone. Make your investment worth it by asking questions, looking at reviews, and knowing your needs before you start shopping. For a quality jeweler you can trust, consider checking out the Fink’s collection.